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All the world is a hunt camp. Or at least that was the feeling as I walked the aisles at the Safari Club International’s annual convention, held earlier this month in Las Vegas. Mongol outfitters with brochures on hunting with eagles sat two stalls down from a fly-in operation specializing in Yukon moose. There were layout hunts for graylag geese in Iceland, mountain hunts for snow sheep in Kamchatka, and more African adventures than you can shake an assegai at. Of all the incredible hunts I learned about at SCI, these six struck me as the most far-flung, the most exotic—the wildest. Some (O.K. one) are surprisingly affordable. Others cost more than a Maserati. All will have you dreaming about international adventure. Read online story: Six Wildest Hunting Adventures at SCI

The best 3 hunts in life are the first, the last and the next. Many hunters may even say that their favorite duck is the next one over the decoys, but the universal aura of wildfowling is seducing free-to-go-anywhere-in-the-fenceless-sky-they-damned-well-choose birds to within about 100 feet. It’s how the game is played. Great hunts don’t happen by accident either. Understanding waterfowl’s life habits is paramount; skillfully using tools of the trade is essential. As our understanding grows so too does the world around us. Waterfowl are migratory and we eventually find ourselves compelled to new areas, to species unobtainable in our own back yards. There are about 50 doable waterfowl species in North America alone. And suddenly it becomes a real big world.

The rules of the game remain the same, but the playing fields change while hunting myriad waterfowl species worldwide. From 16,000 feet in the mountains to below sea level in levee-protected settings, and from the river red gum swamps of the South Pacific to ravaging seas near the Arctic Circle, there exists a spectacular variety of waterfowl. Many people go their entire lives never knowing that it’s not just about dead ducks. We hunters know better. Destination hunting is not only about a trophy; it’s an immersive experience of playing the game. It’s the simple reminder of what we’ve experienced that those feathered trophies shimmering in our game rooms most represent.

Great duck hunting conversations among client-friends at campfires and dinner tables around the world, usually revolve around hunting the bread-and-butter mallards, pintails, honkers and woodies that we all cut our teeth on. Following is a sampling of not-so-common gamebirds from around the world that sparked many long-lasting friendships.

Ramsey Russell’s GetDucks.com singularly has become the go-to resource for gamebirds of the world enthusiasts. Their motto, “it’s duck season somewhere,” means everywhere. “As genuine American duck hunters, we’ve built an enviable reputation for the best duck hunts in Argentina, Mexico, and elsewhere,” says Ramsey. Our Alaska King Eider Hunts are extremely popular at convention among North American waterfowl species collectors, but there’s an entire world of unique species and memorable experiences. Australia is among the newest additions to a growing line-up now encompassing 6 continents and exclusive waterfowl hunting destinations such as Sweden, Netherlands, Mongolia and more.

Argentina duck hunting. The showstoppers—the mallards of Argentina—are rosybills. They’re big and noisy and work into decoys just like greenheads, even though they’re divers, closely related to bluebills and canvasbacks. The multiple species of teal here still spring skyward when you shoot into them. Chilean wigeon whistle and laugh and commit from out of the clouds like their American cousins; yellow-billed pintails circle and tantalize, just like a flock of northern sprigs.

I had envisioned pushovers, ducks that we could kill with tennis rackets while standing in the decoys…Read more: STUDY ABROAD

Ducks were conspicuously absent for the first half-hour. Then, like a magic spout had opened they began to trickle in from all directions – left, right, behind, front – “no, mate, your other right” – quacking black ducks, barking grey teal, meowing maned ducks. From separate cover, we communicated with soft whispers, whistles, and sometimes-abrupt shots and flip-flopped ducks to alert each other to inbound fowl.

The spout opened wider, more ducks flew. Glenn clobbered one from a pair of blackies, and I caught the other as it evacuated overhead. A single black duck from his side, a single one from mine; a pair tumbled in a flurry of flapping wings from low flying trio of grey teal sweeping break-neck behind me, and a high-flying “wood duck” that had tried sneaking past Glenn wadded up like a spitball. From the direction of the ancient sticks came a flock of 40 some-odd gray teal that passed high and wide on the first turn. A rapid-fire staccato of barks turned them and they passed low and out of range. Feeling red-faced and breathless, I stood on the call and again turned them. We punched 4 from the flock as they made a third pass only 20 yards off the deck. And with that, the spout clamped shut and the flight ended.

Hunters face a tough choice when heading to the famous destinations abroad like South America or Africa: Do I go for dream volume dove hunt or exotic upland where I shoot more birds than I ever could at home? Or do I go chase new species of beautiful foreign waterfowl? How about this: Buy a cheap plane ticket and fly a few hours to Old Mexico and forget having to choose. Ducks or Pacific black brant in the morning like you have never seen, followed by torrid evening dove shoots that will leave your shoulder sore and your heart full of memories. Best of all, you can leave the dreary U.S. winter behind and enjoy sunshine, t-shirt weather and condensation running down the side of a fresh lime margarita in the dead of January.

Americans are schizophrenic about Mexico. We love the people, the culture, the seafood especially, the climate, the beaches…the list goes on. Yet we fear the place, because let’s be honest, many headlines coming out of there in the past decade have not been the stuff of travel brochures. But that is changing quickly. And there is no denying this is the affordable and not so-very-far-away destination our fathers and grandfathers ventured to. GetDucks.com SELLS OUT 3 lodges each season, usually well over a year in advance – that’s plenty proof enough!

I shall venture to other continents for exotic waterfowl and big game, but I will never fly over Mexico again to go somewhere else dove hunting. A few friends still think I’m crazy to go to Mexico, but I think they are crazy not to.

Searching for new and better duck hunting is the nature of the beast, but true bearings for real Argentina duck hunting began nearly a decade ago during convention. While describing decadent accommodations, haughty wine lists and over the top chef specialties came an interruption. “No offense, son,” the man beneath a big Stetson drawled, “But if I want all that stuff (only he didn’t say stuff), I’ll take my wife to Italy. We want to shoot the heck (only he didn’t say heck) out of ducks and made to feel comfortable like we’re at our camp among our own kind of people. Show me some sure-enough Argentina duck hunting. We’re real duck hunters, you know?”

2018 Ramsey Russell’s USHuntList.com Brochure lists proven outfitters that have been vetted by Ramsey Russell and proven to deliver. In a time when anyone can find anything on the internet, too many find out the hard way that anyone can be anything on the internet.

There’s no controlling the weather, and there’s no guaranteeing limits in North America, but these outfitters have proven themselves to deliver their best every time. From day hunts to inclusive packages, from sea ducks to mallards, there’s something for everyone in our growing list of outfitters. Contact our USHuntList.com outfitters directly, the next great hunt may be closer than you think.

One of the outfitters who will again be exhibiting at the 2018 SCI Hunters’ Convention is Ramsey Russell with GetDucks.com. When you talk with Ramsey you can’t help but get excited about booking one of his dozens of game bird and waterfowl hunts available all over the world.

“The response to our hunts at our first SCI Convention was a total surprise,” says Russell “Because we offer such a variety of hunts for virtually every game bird, duck and goose in the world, our booth was swamped.”

Many avid bird hunters are looking for the next place to hunt for a bird they have never taken. Much like big game hunters who add to their list of game taken, bird hunters are looking for exotic hunts in places where they can take birds they may never have even seen before.

“We specialize in hunts not only for birds, but for the accommodations and amenities that make for an enjoyable and lasting experience.” says Ramsey. “One of my biggest joys in this business is seeing client/friends at the SCI Convention and hearing about how much they enjoyed a hunt they booked with us. Many come back to look for their next adventure.”